Message in a bottle will be‘a life-saver’

From the Bury Times, first published Sunday 26th Aug 2007.

AMBULANCE crews in Bury have thrown their weight behind a Message in a Bottle scheme which has the potential to save a life in an emergency.

The containers, which will house vital medical information, will be distributed to vulnerable people throughout the Bury area.

Lions Clubs International has provided the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and all Greater Manchester PCTs (Primary Care Trusts) with hundreds of bottles for immediate circulation.

Non-urgent patient transport service and emergency ambulance crews will distribute the bottles which will contain details of medical history, allergies, next of kin and blood type. They are kept in the fridge, with a sign at the entrance of the house so emergency services know the details are to hand.

In support of launching the scheme throughout Greater Manchester, NHS North West has donated £50,000 to extending Message in a Bottle across the area.

Scheme co-ordinator, Paul Smith said: "The Message in a Bottle initiative is designed to encourage vulnerable people, perhaps living on their own, to keep basic personal and medical details in a specially marked, small plastic bottle in their kitchen fridges so they can be easily found in an emergency.

"This is a relatively simple idea, but it can save a person's life. It is the biggest community aid programme that the Lions Clubs have jointly undertaken since their formation. The scheme can benefit many people including the elderly, those with medical conditions and those who have difficulty communicating."

NWAS chief executive, John Burnside commented: "Often when our crews arrive at an emergency, the patient could be unconscious or incoherent and one of the first concerns is to try and establish if there is an existing medical problem or if the patient is taking any medication.

"These two pieces of information are crucial in helping determine the way we should or shouldn't treat a patient and if a crew transfers a patient to hospital, the bottle goes with them so the scheme benefits everyone involved. The bottle really can be a life saver.

"All residents have to do is complete the form supplied with the bottle, place the bottle in the fridge and display the stickers."

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